The present invention relates generally to disposable bags, and more particularly, to a multi-compartment reclosable bag with asymmetrical closures that limit accidental opening of the compartments.
Advances in the design and manufacturing of reclosable bags have resulted in reclosable bags being used in various industries, including medicine, jewelry, food packaging, and retail. For example, reclosable bags are widely used in transporting medical specimens. Typical reclosable bags include a reclosable closure (commonly referred to as a zipper) for temporarily securing the bag""s contents within a single compartment.
Other types of reclosable bags include multiple compartments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,061 issued to Riese includes two chambers with upper and intermediate interlocking fasteners. For this device, a manufacturer thermally seals the fasteners and gripper flaps to a folded plastic sheet. Sealing side edges of this folded sheet forms the bag. Closing the upper fastener seals the bag, while closing the intermediate fastener forms two compartments within the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,415 issued to Chen Wu et al. describes a multi-compartment bag. A first reclosable compartment with pores filters liquid from an inner compartment to an outer compartment that surrounds the inner compartment. Using a centrifuge traps larger materials remain within the inner compartment. In contrast, smaller biological agents move from the inner compartment to the outer compartment where they can be dispensed.
Despite the development in the area of reclosable bags, conventional multi-compartment bags remain susceptible to accidental opening of the closures, which can result in unwanted mixing of the compartments"" content. In addition, conventional solutions do not selectively dispense the contents of the bag. Thus, a need still exists for a reclosable bag that avoids accidental opening and facilitates selective dispensing of the bag""s contents by a user.
The present invention meets the needs described above in a multi-compartment reclosable bag with asymmetrical closures. The invention is a reclosable bag comprising first and second panels joined along their side edges. An upper closure comprises a male profile having opposing first and second barbs. The first barb is substantially longer than the second barb. An intermediate closure is positioned between the upper closure and a bottom edge of the bag. The intermediate closure comprises a male profile having opposing third and fourth barbs. The third barb is substantially longer than the fourth barb. The first longer barb is oriented downwardly and the third longer barb is oriented upwardly for reducing accidental opening of the closures.
In another form, the invention is a reclosable bag comprising first and second panels joined along their side edges. The invention also includes an upper closure. An intermediate closure is positioned between the upper closure and a bottom edge of the bag. This closure divides the bag into an upper compartment and a lower compartment. At least one of the first and second panels is perforated in the lower compartment for dispensing contents from the bag.
In another form, the invention is a dispenser bag for selectively dispensing aggregate material comprising first and second panels joined along their side edges. An upper closure comprises a male profile having opposing first and second barbs. The first barb is substantially longer than the second barb. An intermediate closure is positioned between the upper closure and a bottom edge of the bag. The intermediate closure comprises a male profile having opposing third and fourth barbs. The third barb is substantially longer than the fourth barb. The first barb is oriented downwardly and the third barb is oriented upwardly for reducing accidental opening of the closures. Closing of the intermediate closure divides the bag into an upper compartment and a lower compartment for receiving the material. At least one of the first and second panels is perforated in the lower compartment.
The invention includes uniquely designed closures that more securely separate the compartments"" contents and reduce accidental mixing. In addition, the invention includes an unperforated upper compartment that can store aggregate material and a perforated lower compartment. When desired, a user can open a closure between these compartments to move some of the aggregate material to the perforated lower compartment, from which it can then be dispensed using the perforations. For example, the non-perforated compartment can include potpourri, which maintains its freshness as long as it is in a sealed compartment. By transferring a portion of the potpourri to the perforated compartment, the scent can disperse. However, the portion of the potpourri stored within the sealed upper compartment remains fresh until dispersal is desired.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a multi-compartment reclosable bag with asymmetrical closure according to the present invention avoids the drawbacks of prior systems. The specific techniques and structures employed by the invention to improve over the drawbacks of the prior systems and obtain the advantages described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention and the appended drawings and claims.